About the book:
Warm-hearted Victorian romance brings 1880s London to life.
When
a series of circumstances beyond her control leave Rosalyn Bernay alone
and penniless in London, she chances upon a job backstage at a theater
that is presenting the most popular show in London. A talented musician
and singer, she feels immediately at home and soon becomes enthralled
with the idea of pursuing a career on the stage.
A
hand injury during a skirmish in India has forced Nate Moran out of the
army until he recovers. Filling his time at a stable of horses for hire
in London, he has also spent the past two months working nights as a
stagehand, filling in for his injured brother. Although he's glad he can
help his family through a tough time, he is counting the days until he
can rejoin his regiment. London holds bitter memories for him that he is
anxious to escape. But then he meets the beautiful woman who has found a
new lease on life in the very place Nate can't wait to leave behind.
My review:
I really enjoyed this book about the theater world in 1880's London, a subject I wasn't very familiar with. Acting then was considered a somewhat scandalous profession and it was interesting to see how people reacted to actors and what being backstage was really like. It was fun to have Gilbert and Sullivan, the duo who brought us "the Pirates of Penzance," in the story and to see them introducing this operetta. I also liked that there was so much music in the book; it just made for more of a light and joyful ambiance to the story. I liked Rosalyn but felt a little frustrated at first with the situation she finds herself in and felt she could have done something to prevent or fix it. She's also more of a naive girl so I felt apprehensive for her in different situations. There's some romance with a bit of a love triangle. It was interesting learning more about George Muller's orphanage and what it would have been like to grow up there. Nate was an honorable, caring man who tried to watch out for Rosalyn, even when she was a stranger. He felt a deep responsibility for his family and the men he served with, which was why he felt so guilty for a past mistake. He struggled between doing what he felt was his duty and being drawn to Rosalyn as he felt he couldn't have both. There's a little talk of faith as most of the main characters are Christians and live out their faith. I would definitely recommend this well-written story!
I received this book from Litfuse Publicity free to review.
About the author:
Jennifer
Delamere's debut Victorian romance, "An Heiress at Heart," was a 2013
RITA award finalist in the inspirational category. Her follow-up novel,
"A Lady Most Lovely," received a starred review from "Publishers Weekly"
and the Maggie Award for Excellence from Georgia Romance Writers.
Jennifer earned a BA in English from McGill University in Montreal,
where she became fluent in French and developed an abiding passion for
winter sports. She's been an editor of nonfiction and educational
materials for nearly two decades, and lives in North Carolina with her
husband.
Find out more about Jennifer at jenniferdelamere.com.
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